On January 6th, 2025, my dad and I attended the live Netflix premiere of WWE Monday Night Raw at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. Here are some of my post-event reactions from this historic night!
The Intuit Dome in Inglewood, CA
My dad and yours truly at WWE RAW.
Triple H Kicks Off WWE Raw
After a stirring and nostalgic opening package, the four-way projector screen/curtain surrounding the ring literally dropped to reveal Chief Content Officer Triple H. The Game was more jazzed up than ever touting the new globally-distributed edition of Raw on Netflix, as well as a new gate record. (Yes, we all applauded paying a premium to get into the arena!) But, seriously, it was a crowd pleaser of a kickoff promo.
Triple H on the microphone at the January 6th Netflix premiere of WWE Raw.
The Rock Arrives in Classic Style
When the first few words of the Rock’s music struck (“Can you smeeeelll…”), the crowd started “going bananas,” as Gorilla Monsoon would say. The two gents in front of me actually jumped up from their chairs and extended their arms like a whip crack with two already-recording phones. The variant theme music and attire suggested that the heelish Final Boss version of the Rock was showing up. But to our surprise, we got the magnanimous “People’s Champion,” who took a moment to celebrate the man that he credited with carrying the WWE on his back, Cody Rhodes. Less than a year ago, the Rock had bludgeoned Cody backstage weeks before their memorable WrestleMania tag match, in which the Rock partnered with Roman Reigns and Cody with Seth Rollins. Aside from a playful reference to Cody’s mother, however, who the Rock had dragged into the previous fiasco, the veteran superstar was on his best behavior. Many on social media were clearly flummoxed and, in some cases, irritated by the shift in his tone. However, I saw it as an invitation to a wider audience, one so far reaching that it even beat fan favorite Squid Game season 2 in the Netflix rating wars. Rock wasn’t about to start firing shots when many of the new viewers—the ones who hadn’t followed the storyline from months back—likely know him better from Moana 2 and other Hollywood hits.
Still, the hardcore fans were treated to a proper explanation the following night on WWE NXT, in which the Rock mocked the internet trolls who had criticized him for showing grace to Cody, asserting that he is always “20 steps ahead.” Subtext: the Rock was playing nice on Raw’s global Netflix premiere for the sake of the business, but he’s still got the American Nightmare in his harrowing crosshairs!
The Rock on the microphone at WWE Raw.
Roman Reigns vs. Solo Sikoa
This opening bout was a banger, wrestling purists be damned! It was also the culmination of a feud that had been fuming since last summer. After his World Championship loss to Cody Rhodes, Reigns disappeared for a time from the WWE landscape, resulting in Solo Sikoa picking up the mantle as “Head of the Table” and crowning himself with the symbolic Ula Fala, known as the "Lei of the Chiefs" worn in Samoan culture. The result was a splintering of the bloodline into two factions, one helmed by Original/Only Tribal Chief (OTC) Roman Reigns and the other by the defecting Solo Sikoa. Monday night’s match was meant to finally determine the true Tribal Chief, the winner taking ownership of the all-important Ula Fala.
In a tense back-and-forth “Tribal Rules” match that included chairs, tables and run-ins from the likes of Samy Zayn and surprise entrant Kevin Owens, Reigns came out on top. It was a fitting launch point for a new era, course-correcting the Bloodline saga and delivering a feel good victory for the fans.
Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa in the heat of battle.
John Cena is Rumble Bound
Having never attended a WWE live event featuring arguably the biggest superstar of the past 20 years, John Cena, I was pleased when his classic theme blasted through the arena speakers, and John made his usual dash to the ring. As a fellow Boston native, I took a liking to Cena well before his evolution from the “Doctor of Thuganomics” to the tagline “Hustle, Loyalty, Respect”—yes, all the way back to his “Ruthless Aggression” roots. The way he worked the audience, initially by feigning hopelessness about ever winning a record-breaking 17th World title, then by announcing his intention to enter the 2025 Royal Rumble, was masterful. A really fun and crowd-stirring tease for the future!
John Cena on the microphone at WWE Raw.
Rhea Ripley vs. Liv Morgan
This was my dad’s favorite match. As someone who only occasionally catches an episode of Raw or Smackdown while visiting me, he was floored by the acrobatics of both Ripley and Morgan. The inverted grapples, the turnbuckle slams—all of it contributed to one heck of a payoff following a nearly year long rivalry. In keeping with the baby face victories of the night, Triple H and team rightfully gave the championship victory to Ripley. Her nasty kick to Dirty Dom’s family jewels was a nice button to the segment too!
Rhea Ripley posing with her newly won Women's World Championship Belt.
The Undertaker’s Cameo
When that deep resounding church bell struck and the lights went out, the screams of excitement were deafening. True to his promise to only don the “American Badass” persona henceforth, the veteran Dead Man rode out on his signature motorcycle and lapped the ring before posing with newly christened Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley. To some, the pairing might have felt random—even as there’s a certain symmetry to Ripley’s gothic look alongside the Phenom himself. Some reports suggested the spot was originally meant for Beckly Lynch’s comeback appearance. Either way, it was a welcome surprise for this longtime Taker fan!
The Undertaker posing with Rhea Ripley.
Drew McIntyre vs. Jey Uso
My dad was understandably a deer in the headlights when myself and others stood to usher in the charismatic Jey Uso with the usual swinging arms “Yeet” salute. Still, he found the mountainous McIntrye and nimble Jey to be a fun pairing. It’s hard to deny how “over”—to use a wrestling term meaning favored by the fans—that Jey Uso has become. But I heard my fair share of McIntrye chants too, meaning the Scottish Warrior has more than earned his share of respect as a formidable heel. Like the earlier matches, it was just a fun showdown that ended with Jey Uso grabbing the win. Yes, it was a night for the good guys!
Jey Uso "superkicking" Drew McIntrye.
Hulk Hogan Promotes His Real American Beer
The last time I heard the utterly electric, heart-pounding theme song Real American in an arena was when I attended Smackdown on July 4th, 2002 with my friend Rick. At the time, Hogan was battling alongside Edge, who helped lead the pair to a tag team title. As someone who grew up a Hulkamaniac, it was an incredible feeling, like watching the real life Captain America defeat the Red Skull right before my eyes. The crowd that night was absolutely raucous. Flashforward over two decades later to this January 6th Raw event, however, and the old heyday veteran was getting a very different reception.
In fairness, Hogan’s iconic theme did get a pretty hefty pop when it first burst through the Intuit speakers. But then the Hulkster came out in a Real American Beer t-shirt and started touting his product, and the boos came raining down from even the farthest reaches of the Dome. There has been a great deal of debate over the reasons behind this reaction, with some citing Hogan’s political leanings amidst the LA audience and others the many controversies that have arisen surrounding real life public figure Terry Bollea. Either way, the fact that Hogan was clearly peddling his beer couched in his classic promo style just struck the wrong note—not unlike a Logan Paul Prime spot (although, at least in Paul’s case, he intends to be booed!). It’s a tough line for the WWE to walk, having just penned a deal with Hogan’s beer company, to say nothing of the man’s unparalleled contributions to the industry, historically speaking. Then again, the booking team had to have known that putting him out there at this time would be polarizing at best. If they were dead set on including him, a pre-taped package would probably have worked better. And there even those on social media that had wondered about Hogan calling a heel audible in hindsight. Just imagine if the Hulkster had torn off his shirt, and instead of revealing the Netflix logo underneath, it was the nWo—what a way to lean into the skid! Either way, news of Hogan’s less than stellar reception made headlines as far as Variety, and arguably bolstered both his and WWE’s SEO and brand. A silver lining for a man who once slammed Andre the Giant at the Silverdome! Or was it the Superdome? (Ba-dum ching!)
Hulk Hogan tearing off his shirt alongside longtime manager Jimmy Hart.
CM Punk vs. Seth “Freakin” Rollins
I wrote a whole other blog about the controversial, enigmatic figure that is CM Punk, one of my favorite wrestlers of the past 20 years. Now 46-years-young, and having earned his keep in the WWE after coming back from his 2024 Royal Rumble injury, wowing audiences across three grueling bouts with Drew McIntrye and participating in the five-on-five Survivor Series: WarGames in November, Punk’s attentions pivoted back to an old nemesis this past Monday night in Seth “Freakin” Rollins. Of all the talent that took umbrage with Punk leaving the WWE and criticizing the company so publicly during his ten year absence, Rollins has been probably the most vocal. Best of all, it’s not even a work. From many accounts, Rollins really does have a real-life beef with Punk. The best matches often blur the lines of reality and fiction. When two competitors seem to really not like each other, it makes for some great storytelling in the world of sports entertainment.
Now, having clashed on the mic with some of the most personal and scathing shoots over the past few weeks, Punk and Rollins were finally set to go to blows, and boy was the crowd ready! As the two faced off, a “holy shit” chant—sanitized on the Netflix feed of course—resonated through the arena. The match itself was nothing short of adrenaline-ridden. Punk and Rollins delivered a back-and-forth slobberknocker for the ages, in which the “Best in the World” came out on top.
CM Punk and Seth Rollins in the heat of battle.
Other than the match itself, probably my favorite moment came as my dad and I were exiting the arena and overheard Punk’s post-match interview: “46 is just a number. One through 30, just numbers. Royal Rumble, you're next on the list. Gunther, I'm coming for you. Cody, I'm coming for you. I'm Mr. October. I'm Game 7. I am clutch. I am the best in the world." Yes, much like Cena has set his sights on a Rumble victory, the other biggest name of the past two decades is equally committed, and us fans will be “eating good” for a while!
CM Punk giving his post-match interview.
In the end, my night at the Intuit Dome was one for the ages. I was really pleased to be a part of history, and even more elated that I could share it with my dad. It’s also amazing that the event just narrowly missed the forthcoming fires that ravaged much of the greater LA area the following days. Though Inglewood was far from the blaze, it would certainly have put a strain on the event for those attending from places affected. It is heartening to hear that a benefit event for the fire victims will be held at the Intuit Dome in the near future.
Source for all WWE Raw images: WWE.com
Thanks for reading! Agree or have a different opinion? Offer your thoughts in the comments section below.
Kommentare